Toddlers can go to jail with mum

@ Gobackhome #29:

You just told a stranger you look forward to his wife being raped, and you think minimum-security prisoners are the problem?

Two questions

1. If the parents of the child are living together why cant the father of the child take care of it?

2. If the parents are seperated, where does all the Child Support money go while the mother is living it up in the hotel suite (yes it looks more like a hotel room than a prison cell!!!)??

Rex #56 Tell me, what is the point of prison? Isn't there a reason these people are excluded them from society? Clearly they don't care about their babies, or else they wouldn't commit the crime in the first place.

Don't go into the research debate, data is drawn up to support pre-determined conclusions (But lets not get side-tracked).

If our government stopped bend over for the prisoners, put a real jail in place, ie shippping containers, or tents - Sherrif joe, then would prison be the best place for baby? Why is money wasted on that cushy thing in the photo, just another example of the welfare state mentality.

I accept your argument to a point, but if mother cared abuot her baby she wouldn't get herself in that position, clearly she doesn't care about baby so is she the best person to raise the child? It would also be far greater punishment on mum, being seperated, make her think twice about her life. Either that or she really doesn't care.

Holy Cow! I have PAID money to stay in worse hotels then that!!!!

Is it any wonder our Criminal System is a laughing stock to other countries!

Only in NZ can you commit a serious crime and be better off!!!!

@ FC_Shaza #52

Shaza, you talk about punishing babies by putting them in prison but fail to see that seperating them from their mothers is a far, far greater punishment.

Countless research has shown that the best place for a wee baby is with his/her mother. Yay for fathers and I wish it were not so but the mother/child bond is 9 hugely important months old before dad gets to hold the child.

I have nothing but admiration for people who foster children but babies belong with Mum. Full stop.

Can we please bring corporal punishment back? PLEASE?!!!! Crim shoplifts. Crim is sentenced to public whipping with rotan. Crim is whipped HARD on the left bum cheek 50 times. Crim has sore bum and is humiliated. Crim doesn't want that to happen again. Crim thinks twice about shoplifting again.

@ David #50 "I bet the cost of these is a trifle compared to the amount handed out to greedy Maori "tribes", rugby and other "cultural" rubbish which has no benefit for me.

When did rugby become part of Maori Culture? Go ABs!!

Why should baby be forced to do the time for mothers crime. If a mother is unable to care for her child, ie because she is in bloody prison, then give the kid to its dad, if he is unable to then their are lots of hopeful wonderful foster parents WHO DONT COMMIT CRIME AND GET SENT TO PRISON. Prison is supposed to be punishment, a deterant for crime, why are we catering to their needs. Bring on the shipping containers.

I think the posts here make the views of the majority of NZers loud and clear. The choice to offend and break the law is just that, "a chose", and poverty is not an automatic dispensation from being able differentiate between right and wrong. You make a choice to go into town on Saturday night and steal someone else's car or burgle their house. Personally I have no issue with building bigger and better prisons and watching the prison population grow as long as it keeps the rest of us safe. More prisons and longer sentencing is what is needed.

I bet the cost of these is a trifle compared to the amount handed out to greedy Maori "tribes", rugby and other "cultural" rubbish which has no benefit for me. Add to that typical MPs expenses.

There is no point in whining, money is wasted all around us, I don't expect things to change anytime soon.